Chapter 8: A Trap - My K-Pop Experience

“Wanting a bit of fun, you played a game. Now looking for the exit, you cannot find it. These little gifts on the way, you don’t even know why they’re here or where they’re coming from, but you still take them because they’re making you feel a little bit better. They knew it. Only needed beautiful ribbons to keep you amazed. That’s how they keep you chained and locked up in this maze.” - Kitania Rose

In September 2017, BTS released an album called Love Yourself: Her. On the album track list, one of the songs titled Pied Piper goes as follows:

[Verse 1]

It's dangerous so it's better

You know deep inside

You can't stop it now (You can't stop)

So be honest with me now

Stop, now stop watching and study for your test

Your parents and boss hate me

Video clips, pictures, tweets

V app, Bon Voyage

I know, you can't help what you like

But stop, interpret the music video later

You have so many pictures of me in your room anyway

It's not just one hour, it's a whole year that'll disappear

So this song is a reward I'm giving to you

[Verse 2]

[...]

Like the pied piper

I'm testing you

Like the fruit from the tree of good and evil

My pipe awakens everything

That sound burns you up even more

You're pulled by it, you react

I'm endlessly blowing

I'm your guilty pleasure

You can't escape, never

Full lyrics available on Genius.com

Bruh, wow...A slap in the face. I was baffled.

Here I was, reading an English translation of a song telling me how enjoyable the use of witchcraft and spell casting...on the very ones who look up to them...

That was quite different from the “Speaking against the diverse oppression faced by the youth”

Some speculated that the song could be about the relationship between the group and their love for music or their fans (called ARMY) ...What?

I was baffled.

My misery had become the inspiration and the money-making machine of the very ones that..um

Now it made sense.

Until that point, I had given them the benefit of the doubt because of how “normal” or perhaps how down to earth they appeared on their shows compared to their “dark” themes in their music videos.

I knew of the occult being a thing in the western entertainment industry but K-Pop??

It’s like a veil in front of my eyes fell off. Or should I say that I already knew of it but still chose blindness.

Companies putting so much emphasise on the external appearances of their artists...The constant appreciation and attention given to fans...All these shows and interviews given to fans as a “gift” to show how “true”, “normal” and “humbled” these celebrities are...

Now we know why.

But, still, these newfound understanding didn’t stop this toxic Kitania-Go-Round

~ My K-Pop Experience: How My Experience Shaped My Personal Journey as a Christian (#8) ~